“You are the Other Half of My Heart”: A 22nd Anniversary Poem for My Husband, 1/03/12 Gratiana Lovelace (Post # 95)

A Poem for my Husband on our 22^nd Anniversary in 2011
by Gratiana Lovelace

 

I awoke one morning many years ago,
Not knowing that my life would change.
And change it did.
Because I had not realized what was missing,
The other half of my heart,
Until you came into my life. 

We met amongst mutual friends,
An auspicious beginning.
Your gleaming smile captured my attention,
As your love would later capture my heart.
Though I could not think why I would draw your attention,
Since I had long resigned myself to being alone. 

Learning to be alone is an art unto itself.
We must studiously select our interests,
Careful to make them solitary, not requiring others.
So, I sewed, I watched movies, and I watched others live their lives.
While my life ebbed and flowed like the tides,
Constant, predictable, a pattern of silent erosion of joy, though I did not know it then.

And then, I did know that my life was full of possibilities for love.
Because, you showed me your heart and welcomed me in.
No one could have been more shy than I on our early dates,
For love had eluded me until you.
I might have seemed aloof, I suppose, but you persisted.
I smile even now at being chased by you, wanted by you. 

When we kissed that first awkward time,
Compact cars being too small for tall men such as you,
I had not been kissed for so long, years–and then, not in love.
My lips were unaccustomed to such tenderness as you showed me.
I knew in an instant that you were my chance for love and joy.
That is why I asked you to redo it–the kiss–to get it right. 

And we did get it right, our warm soft lips pressing to each other,
Seeking each other tentatively at first.
Any more would have shocked my untutored heart.
Even though I was a young adult,
I was a maiden true, untouched, and unloved
Until your heart touched mine.

And my life since then continues to be a joy as we share our lives together.
You are my heart’s true love and soul mate.
We laugh as much as we love–which is considerable.
We are best friends and heartfelt lovers.
You are my everything, my world,
Because, you are the other half of my heart.

                                                            Image Reference

Roses heart was found at  http://www.portwallpaper.com/imgwal/red-roses-heart.jpg